Folding table



March 26, 1963 M. 'r. BEDOL 3,

FOLDING TABLE Filed Aug. 29, 1962 INVENTOR. MARsHALUYBEDoL ATTOENEY5.

United States Patent O p 3,083,066 FOLDENG TAELE Marshall T. Bedoi, 2674Sulgrave Road, Shaker Heights, Ohio Filed Aug. 29, 1962, Ser. No.220,255 1 Claim. (Cl. 108-50) This invention relates to furniture andparticularly to folding tables of small size and light weight which arewell adapted for occasional use on lawns, terraces, porches and in thehome, for supporting small objects.

The advantage of a folding table which may be collapsed when not in use,and quickly erected when needed, is well known and many types anddesigns of tables of this character have heretofore been suggested andplaced in use.

However, no matter how compact they may be when in their collapsed statesuch tables must be stored on their legs against a wall or in a closet,where they are easily dislodged or upset when jarred, or when the closetis being cleaned.

If not stored loosely, it is often the practice to provide storageracks, especially when the tables are sold in sets of four.

Such racks in themselves take up room, and also add to the cost of thetable set.

The primary object of this invention, therefore, is to provide acollapsible table having hanger, or handle means, whereby the foldedtable may be easily suspended from a rod or bracket, clear of the floor,and safe against accidental dislodgement.

Another object is to provide suspension means that will not interferewith the normal use of the device as a table.

A further object is to provide a collapsible table, having suspensionstorage means, that may be easily and economically manufactured.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from areading of the following specification and claims, together with theaccompanying drawing. wherein like parts are referred to and indicatedby like reference numerals, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one of the tables that is the subjectof this invention, showing it in its erected condition;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view, showing a set of four of such tables, intheir folded condition, suspended from an overhead rod, as they would bestored in a clothes or broom closet;

FIGURE 3 is a rear view of a table in its folded condition; and

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of the same, taken along the line andin the direction of the arrows 44 of FIGURE 3.

Referring more particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawing, there is seenthe folding table that is the subject of this invention, broadlyindicated by reference numeral 10, as it appears in its erect, orunfolded condition.

The table top 15 is preferably rectangular in shape and is fabricatedfrom light gauge sheet material such as fiber, composition, plastic, ormetal, attractively painted, enameled or otherwise decorated.

The top 15, illustrated, has four spaced resilient clamps 16 positionedon the underside of its two long edges, which are adapted to detachablyengage the supporting frame described hereinafter.

Thus the top 15 may serve as a tray when not engaged with the frame, toform a table.

Reference numerals 11 and 12 indicate U-shaped support, or frame,members, having their legs pivotally connected intermediate their endsthrough pivot pins 13 and 14.

3,083,066 Patented Mar. 26, 1963 First support member 12 has ahorizontal section 18, and second support member 11 has a horizontalsection 19.

These support members are preferably made of tubular stock in order toprovide a maximum of rigidity with a minimum of weight.

It will be observed, in FIGURE 3, that support 11 is slightly smallerthan support 12, so that it may be nested entirely within the plane ofsupport 12 (in a second, or closed position) or pivoted to a first, oropen, position, as seen in FIGURE 1, wherein supports 11 and 12 form anX-shaped supporting frame for the table top 15 which is attached theretothrough the clamps 16.

Reference numeral 21 indicates a handle, or hanger, fabricated from flatstock and svvivelly mounted through pivot pin 24 on the horizontalsection 18 of support 12 in a plane tangent to section 18 and parallelto the plane of the legs of support 12.

The hanger 21 has a hook 20' at one end and an offset 22 terminating ina dependent locking flange 23.

The hanger 21 is mounted at the center point of the horizontal section18.

The top, or tray, 15 is mounted on the support section 18 by means oftwo of the clamps 16 along one edge thereof.

The supports 11 and 12 are then pivoted to their first, or X-shaped,position, wherein the horizontal section 19 of support 11 is spaced fromthe horizontal section 18 of support 12, and the two clamps 16 :on thefar side of the tray 15 are engaged with the horizontal section 19 ofsupport 11 to provide a table having its top 15 parallel to the floor,as seen in FIGURE 1.

At the same time the hanger 21 is free to swivel, on its pin 24,inwardly, so that the hook end 20 thereof is positioned under the edgeof the table top 15, out of the way.

To fold the table, the clamps 16 are disengaged from the support section19, and the support 11 is swung into alignment with support 12.

At the same time the top 15 will rotate downward on section 18 to take aposition against and parallel to thetwo nested supports 11 and 12, asseen in FIGURE 3.

The hanger hook 20 is then grasped by the fingers and swung upward tothe position shown in FIGURE 4 wherein the flange 23 is positionedopposite the horizontal section 19 of support 11, thereby holdingsupport 11 nested within support 12 and against the back of top 15.

The so folded unit 10 may then be easily suspended from a rod 17, asseen in FIGURE 2, where it is securely stored out of the way, safe from.accidental dislodgment, but readily available for use, when desired.

The hanger 21 acts not only to support the folded table, but, throughits locking flange 23, maintains the table in its flat, folded,condition by preventing movement of the support 11 out of its nestedposition within support 12.

It will now be clear that there is provided a device which accomplishesthe objectives heretofore set forth.

While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred form, it is tobe understood that the specific embodiment thereof, as described andillustrated herein, is not to be considered in a limited sense, as theremay be other forms or modifications of the invention which should alsobe constructed tocome within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A folding tray table, comprising in combination, first and secondU-shaped supports with their respective legs pivotally connectedintermediate their ends to form an X shape when in a first, or open,position; the second of said supports being of a size to nest within theplane of the first support when pivoted to a second or closed position;a tray pivotally mounted along one edge on the horizontal section ofsaid first support, with its body hanging parallel to and against boththe first and second support legs, when they are in their second orclosed positions, the other edge of the tray being engageable with thehorizontal section ofthe seeondsupport, toprovide a tabletop, when thetwo supports are in their first, or X shaped, position; and a handleswivelly mounted at the mid-point of the horizontal section of the firstsupport, rotatable in a plane parallel to the plane of its legs andincluding a hook povtion at one end and an offset locking flange at theother end; the hook portion being free to extend above the edge of thetray to engage and support the entire assembly from a suspension 1 0dwhen the tray and legs are in their folded, or second, position; withthe hook so positioned the locking flange extends downward be- 5positions wherein they form -a table.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,717,817 Reiehm'an Sept. 13, 1955 2 ,371,075 Stone Jan. 27, 19592,929,666 rMille'r Mai". 22, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 810,920 Great BritainMar. 25, 1959

